Top 10 Best TV Shows to Watch This Spring

No one doubts that this spring, TV will be the best companion for many households.

As the entire world heads into April and May amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, lots of people are forced into self-isolation as movie theaters across the nation shut down.

However, new spring TV shows are raring to take your minds off COVID-19 as movie releases are also delayed, and Hollywood productions shut down as well. Many series have since finished new seasons and can, therefore, be released in full and on time.

Ten TV shows stand out among the dozens of new series that are set to hit TV and laptop screens across the world. Here they are in no particular order:

Home Before Dark (Apple TV+, April 3)

This series stars Brooklynn Prince (“The Florida Project”), journalist Hilde Lysiak who investigates a murder in a small town, Jim Sturgess as Hilde’s father. The mystery is astonishing as well.

Mrs. America (FX on Hulu, April 15 – Wednesdays)

This limited series features an impressive cast as memorable figures: Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly, Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, and Rose Byrne.

Sharp writing and excellent acting make this series a must-watch.

The Plot Against America (HBO, Mondays, 9 EDT/PDT)

This six-episode TV miniseries premiered March 16, but you can still jump in. It is based on Philip Roth’s 2004 novel about a working-class Jewish family set in the 1940s New Jersey at the time Charles Lindbergh was president.

Hollywood (Netflix, May 1)

This campy limited series is about the dreamers in post-World War II Golden Age. A rare series and the second from Ryan Murphy, “Hollywood” is fun and doesn’t lack substance.

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (streaming now on Netflix)

This Netflix miniseries is full of knowing looks from Octavia Spencer. Walker is the first self-made female millionaire in the United States, selling black women’s hair.

Run (HBO, April 12. Sundays, 10:30 EDT/PDT)

This romantic comedy about two college lovers who have put together a secret pact to hightail it together if one of them texts one word: “run.” And fifteen years later, they honor that promise.

“Run” is funny, fascinating, with all the elements building to make it an impressive show.

The Great (Hulu, May 15)

This extravagantly humorous historical drama written by one of the writers of “The Favorite” covers 18^th-century Russia.

Elle Fanning plays a relatively young Catherine the Great, a dewy-eyed idealist married off to the bawdy Russian emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult). The show is a pleasure to watch.

Quiz (AMC, May 25-27. 9 EDT/PDT)

This is a true-crime drama that many Americans have never heard of. The three-part miniseries is about a supposed cheating scandal on the United Kingdom’s version of the smash hit game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

A married couple (Sian Clifford and Matthew Macfadyen) is on trial for cheating their way smartly to a million pounds by coughing. The series is superbly written, riotously funny with incredible performances by the cast which include Michael Sheen as Christ Tarrant, the “Millionaire” host.

Upload (Amazon, May 1)

This series is set in a not-too-distant future and involves Robbie Amell (The Flash), a small-time coder who “dies” in a somewhat mysterious car crash. Digital worlds start looking much less like paradise.

“Upload” is part absurdist comedy and part mystery. Early episodes are loaded with lots of emotional intrigues.

Central Park (Apple TV+, May 29)

This is an animated musical comedy from Loren Bouchard (Bob’s Burgers). It is about a group of New Yorkers who are connected to the notable park, including both a wealthy woman as well as a caretaker who hate it.

The music in this series is impressive, and the voice cast is simply fantastic: Tituss Burgess, Josh Gad, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn along with Leslie Odom and Daveed Diggs, two “Hamilton” stars.